Detroit Red Wings prospect goaltender Trey Augustine grew up attending games at Joe Louis Arena, and he could soon be making a name for himself at their current home, Little Caesars Arena.
While Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has managed to build up the club's prospect pool into one of the highest-regarded in the NHL, two of the most exciting young players who carry some of the biggest upside are the ones who strap on the pads.
Goaltenders Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine are thought of as the potential goaltenders of the future in Detroit, and for good reason.
Cossa has enjoyed a spectacular season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, not only posting impressive numbers but helping them become the first AHL team in decades to have clinched a postseason spot in February.
Augustine, who has also starred on the international stage, has become known as one of the best NCAA goaltenders with the Michigan State Spartans and continues to rack up the accolades.
Not only was he recently named a finalist for the 2026 Mike Richter Award (top goalie) and a top-10 finalist for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award, but he was also named the 2026 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year for the second straight campaign.
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Augustine, whom the Red Wings selected 41st overall in 2023, recently joined NHL Network and reflected on some of his memories as a child in the metro-Detroit area attending games at Joe Louis Arena with his father.
"Goes way back to when they were playing at The Joe, me and my dad used to go down to games and went to a little dive bar called Nemo's before, and then head over the Joe on a shuttle," Augustine explained. "That's kind of how it all started for me."
One of the most intimidating rinks for opposition NHL players to skate in, Augustine developed an appreciation for not only the waves of nostalgia from great teams of the past who called the venue home, but also for some of the great moments in Red Wings history that took place there.
"Just going down, seeing the atmosphere there, it was just that old feel at the Joe Louis Arena, and a little grit to it, which was just awesome to be in there with all the Stanley Cups and championships, big wins that happened there," he said. "You could just feel it."
It appears as though the sky is the limit for Augustine, who said that he focuses his concentration on getting a little better every day.
"I think for me it's just the little details in my game," he said. "Finding ways to raise my game that one percent I can do every day, the margins are so thin in college and certainly going to be extremely thin in the AHL or NHL, wherever I play next.
Just focusing on the little things and taking it day by day."
Augustine is expected to join the Grand Rapids Griffins next season.
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